Council discusses, approves multiple infrastructure projects

Tuesday

Apr 15, 2014 at 1:30 PM

Milford infrastructure projects, like electric and sewer upgrades, are nearing completion and the city is preparing to continue improving its infrastructure to enhance services for current residents and prepare for future growth.

By Maddy Lauriamaddy.lauria@doverpost.com@Milford_Maddy

Milford infrastructure projects, like electric and sewer upgrades, are nearing completion and the city is preparing to continue improving its infrastructure to enhance services for current residents and prepare for future growth.

During its regular City Council meeting Monday night, council members discussed and voted on the following issues:

The city’s newest electric substation will “go hot” on Thursday, said City Manager Richard Carmean. The extension of the upgraded transmission lines on Del. Route 14 and Del. Route 15 are expected to be completed in approximately one month. The total electric upgrade project will cost about $9 million, with $4 million funded through electric reserves and the additional $5 million from a USDA loan acquired following a referendum in 2007. “Not only does it allow for future growth, it gives us a redundancy in our system that will be beneficial to help with outages and so forth,” Carmean.
With the S.E. Front Street improvement project underway, 32 existing water services have been replaced. The water main of Columbia Street, which was previously a 4-inch water main, has been replaced by an 8-inch water main, throughout approximately 380 feet of water main. According to the city manager’s report, the new main passed pressure and bacteriological testing and existing services can now be transferred to the new main.
The Washington Street Sewer Pumping Station is now finished and operational.
Bids have now been advertised for two weeks for the southeast Milford water tower and water treatment project. Bid options are expected to come before council sometime in May, and Carmean expects the project to begin in June. In addition to the work needed on a new tower and treatment plant in the southeast region of Milford, the city is also working to extend the water main to reach that tower. The water main extension will run from the new overpass to the new tank location, which is approximately one-mile long. The bid for this portion of the project, which was awarded to Teal Construction, Inc., will cost $362,681, some of which will be funded by the USDA bond and approximately $130,000 portion will come from water reserves, according to Carmean. Council voted unanimously to fund the water main extension phase of the project.
Milford will begin surface renovation projects on the following streets: North Washington Street, N.E. 7th Street, N.E. 4th Street, Bridgeham Avenue from S.E. 2nd Street to S.E. 4th Street, Park Avenue, Lemuel Street and Claude Street. Repairs are expected to be completed this summer. Work on North Washington Street is expected to include some sidewalk repair as well as handicap accessible ramps at intersections.
City Council adopted a revised ordinance for its false alarm code with an unanimous vote Monday night. The revision changes the false alarm offenses from criminal to civil, and sets the penalties at $50 increments for the fourth offense, until it reaches $250 for the 16th offense. Appeals will be directed to the Justice of the Peace Court instead of going through the Milford Police Department.
City Council approved alcohol code waiver requests for Downtown Milford Inc.’s Farmers Market, which will feature beer tastings from Mispillion River Brewing, for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Milford’s “Smile for Freedom” 5K Walk/Run at Mispillion River Brewing on June 28, and for the Milford High School Class of 1984 reunion at Grotto Pizza. Councilman James Starling voted against all three waivers and Councilman Owen Brooks voted against the waiver for the high school reunion at Grotto Pizza because of traffic concerns. Following City Council approval, each waiver must also be approved by Alcohol Beverage Control.